1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for connecting multiple electrical cables and more particularly to a device of this type that is capable of advancing or retracting multiple electrical connector halves through an equipment panel for connection to complementary connector halves. The present invention finds particular utility in facilitating the mating or unmating of electrical connectors in situations where space limitations will not permit access to the connectors for utilization of conventional means of mating and unmating the connectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The term "electrical conector" connotes virtually any device for connecting the end of a wire to a similar device or to a mating part. Coaxial, pin and socket, rack and panel, and a variety of other connector types are well known in the art. In particular, one set of connector halves may be inserted through an opening in a panel and secured thereto. A second set of connector halves may then be positioned in axial alignment with the first connector halves and moved relatively towards the first connector halves until the connectors engage each other. The connector parts must be precisely positioned and manufactured to a very high degree of dimensional tolerance to assure axial alignment of the connectors.
Such a device, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,364, embodies first connector halves having a spring-loaded mounting, a radially extending collar, and guide pins. As the second connector halves are brought into contact with the first connector halves, the first connector body can be displaced obliquely of its axial alignment to some extent so that, if the mating connector is moved into engagement with the first connector body having the above-described mounting arrangement, the first connector body can realign itself relative to the panel until the connector halves are in axial alignment.
Complementary electrical connector halves placed in axial alignment can quickly be engaged and disengaged by mechanical means, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,629,791. In this device lever-actuated means selectively lock the linearly movable connector halves in advanced connector assembled position and retracted connector parts in disassembled position.
One of the problems associated with rack and panel connectors has been achieving proper alignment of the two connector members prior to the coupling action, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,500, wherein the circular panel connector has guide pins and a spring-loaded, rack-mounted first connector receptacle to facilitate the alignment and the mating of a panel-mounted connector with the rack-mounted receptacle.
Four basic directions of connector misalignment must be considered: (1) radial, (2) axial, (3) rotational, and (4) angular. As explained in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,797, three of these conditions can be accounted for without serious complications, but the four in combination pose a difficult problem. While connector design could compensate for two or three of these conditions, the fourth condition was formerly met through structural design. The solution proffered in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,797 utilizes a tube-like plug shell and an apparatus for mounting the plug shell in a housing. The plug shell is capable of moving relative to the housing in substantially an infinite number of paths to accommodate mating of the electrical parts in locations of moderate or extreme inaccessibility in spite of any preliminary misalignment.
In the mating of electrical connectors, a common technique is to substantially align the connector halves and to move the connector halves relatively towards each other until they have engaged. The requisite relative motion of the connector halves toward each other in mating, or away from each other in unmating, is commonly accomplished by moving the panels on which the connector halves are mounted relatively toward or away from each other.
An annular connector method such as the lever-actuated device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,629,791, referred to above, may be employed for such purposes. Similarly, the electrical connector can be designed to compensate for axial separation of the mounting surfaces as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,797, also previously referred to.
The problem inherent in these types of electrical connector mounting arrangements is that some equipment configurations may impose space limitations that will not permit sufficient access to electrical connectors which are ordinarily rigid in construction, for employment of conventional means of mating or unmating. Alternatively, equipment configurations may require spacing between panels that will not permit full engagement of conventional electrical connector types.
Thus, if electrical connectors which are to be engaged are positioned prior to engagement so that the space between fixed panels upon which the connectors are mounted is too limited for fitting and adjustment of conventional connector halves, positive engagement of the connectors may not be insured. This situation in the past required the use of special connectors precisely dimensioned for the equipment panel spacing. Alternatively, a desired equipment configuration may need to be modified in order to enable positive engagement of conventional connectors.